Driver charged in fatal Katy-area crash, deputies say
A 20-year-old driver was charged after deputies say a white BMW hit a black Cadillac and killed Sung Bae, 53, on Westheimer Parkway near Cinco Ranch Boulevard.
Fort Bend County deputies have charged a 20-year-old man in a fatal Katy-area crash that killed Sung Bae, 53, turning the early-morning wreck into a felony intoxication manslaughter case. Dejon Fortune was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail after investigators said a white BMW he was driving struck Bae’s black Cadillac in the 24300 block of Westheimer Parkway near Cinco Ranch Boulevard.
The crash happened around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, on a stretch of road that carries late-night traffic through the Katy and Cinco Ranch area. Fort Bend County officials said bond was pending magistrate review after Fortune’s arrest.
Investigators said the case is being handled as a fatal impaired-driving incident, not just a traffic collision. In a statement, Sheriff Eric Fagan said, “impaired driving continues to kill innocent people in the community, and people should never get behind the wheel while under the influence.” Court-document reporting said Fortune had been celebrating his 20th birthday before the crash and showed signs of intoxication; one account said he did not remember when he had his last drink.
Texas law gives the case serious criminal weight. Under Texas Penal Code Section 49.08, intoxication manslaughter is a second-degree felony, punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. That charge reflects the legal line between a tragic wreck and conduct prosecutors say rose to the level of a crime.
The death also lands in a broader traffic-safety context across Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation said the state recorded 4,150 roadway deaths in 2024, down 3.29% from 4,291 in 2023. TxDOT also tracks impaired-driving fatality trends and the peak days and hours for deadly crashes through its data portal, underscoring how often alcohol remains part of fatal collisions during overnight hours.
For drivers moving through west Harris County and Fort Bend County, the case is a reminder that Westheimer Parkway, Cinco Ranch Boulevard and the surrounding subdivisions are not insulated from late-night risk. Deputies said one fatal collision in that corridor was enough to bring an arrest, a jail booking and a felony case that now follows both the driver and the family of a 53-year-old man who was killed in the roadway.
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